City Council - Regular Meeting

I will now come to order. Please stand for the playing of the national anthem.

Thank you.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This evening, Council is grateful to have Pastor Joseph Stanley here from the Greater Mount Calvary Baptist Church to pray with us again. Pastor, welcome back to Council.

Thank you. Shall we pray together? Gracious and eternal wise God who loves us as father and mother, we thank you first for the gift of this city, for our neighbors, our family, public servants. and every person who calls this city home. We gather tonight and recognize that our city is in a particular season. God, we ask that you grant us wisdom, patience, and discernment. God, bless these proceedings on tonight. Give Columbus peace, stability through leaders with hearts committed to the change that we need. Bless this meeting tonight. Allow our actions to be honorable and our work to be worthy of the trust that is placed into us. In the sweet but also strong name of Jesus that I pray. Amen.

Amen. Thank you, Pastor. Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayakower, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin. Any person who takes any action to obstruct or interfere with the conduct of tonight's meeting may be charged with disturbing a lawful meeting pursuant to Columbus City Code 2317.12. Any person who enters those areas of city council chambers reserved for city officials or invited guests may be charged with criminal trespass pursuant to Columbus City Code 2311.21. Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Can I get a motion to spend for the reading of the journal? Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorn, Screen, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Are there any additional corrections or additions to the journal? Hearing none, the journal is approved. This week's communications received by the city clerk's office are listed on the agenda and will be published in the bulletin. Are there any other communications to be read into the records?

Not at this time.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. We'll go around. Oh, sorry. Are there any additions or corrections to the agenda? Hearing none, the agenda is approved. Are there any, we'll go around the dais for any resolutions or comments from my colleagues. I'll start with Councilman Bankston.

Thank you, Council President. Just two quick announcements. Just as a reminder, tomorrow at 4 p.m. I am holding a hearing. to discuss adjusting the city's wage threshold for its tax incentive offerings. Any residents seeking to submit written testimony should forward it to Jonathan Brown at jbbrown at columbus.gov by 10 a.m. tomorrow with the subject line wage threshold hearing. All persons wishing to speak during the hearing in person must also email Jonathan Brown in my office again at jbbrown at columbus.gov by 10 a.m. tomorrow as well. Each speaker will be limited to remarks lasting no longer than three minutes. And of course, the meeting will be live streamed on the city's YouTube channel and Facebook page. And again, looking forward to the discussion of our wage threshold. Again, that is the minimum wage that jobs must generate in order to get a tax incentive from the city of Columbus. So hope you all will be able to join us. Also, just a really quick update. As you all know, again, this is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. And over the past couple of weeks, we've been hosting blood drives to aid in that effort. And through those blood drives, we kicked off at the Fran Ryan Center and also had one here at 77 North Front Street. Our residents showed up in a big way as well as our city employees. So I want to thank all of them. And together, these two drives brought in 64 donors. And this is a really a unique stat. And I'm excited about six of them. were blood donors who donated for the first time ever. So I want to thank them for their courage. In total, we collected 73 units of blood so far. So that means we have saved as many as 219 lives right here in our own community. And again, as you all know, this cause is personal to me and my family, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who rolled up their sleeves and to our partners at the American Red Cross and everyone who donated and volunteered. Actually, we did the kickoff blood drive that was actually the same day as Habiba's blood transfusion treatment, and she got to meet a patient who was there giving O-positive blood because she's an O-positive receiver, and so it was a great connection to see that. So, again, I would encourage you through this month, but also just throughout the year, if you have an opportunity to give blood, please do so. It will save someone's life. To round out September sickle cell, Awareness Month. This is outside of September, but we will have another blood drive sponsored by the city and the American Red Cross that will be on October 14th at Columbus Public Health. And so city employees are encouraged as well as the public to sign up for that it'll be 10 a.m to 4 p.m again at our columbus public of health and you can register by going to redcrossblood.org and use the sponsor code cph to participate again thank you all uh for all that have shown up and let's continue to look out for one another and with that that's all i have that's present thank you council member council member thank you council president i have a couple of announcements and one resolution this evening

First, I want to acknowledge that this evening we will consider multiple ordinances related to the NWSL expansion franchise deal that Council amended and passed earlier this year. Tonight, Council will be voting on the rezoning of McCoy Park, the design contract for new parks in the Southwest community, and the levying of the additional admissions tax on Crew Stadium, paying for the city's commitment to the franchise deal. I have been very adamant in my opposition to city funds and parks going to billionaires, but I lost that vote. Realistically, I am left with two options. I can rage about it tonight and achieve nothing but clickbait, or I can vote to ensure that the $25 million is paid for by attendees' ticket taxes instead of taxpayers, and I can work to ensure that the alternative park plans decided upon by the Southwest Working Group are actualized to the benefit of the community. It's easy to be stubborn and achieve nothing. It's hard to work with the alternative that I didn't want. But given the situation at hand, I believe it is better for the Southwest community if I work to meet their parkland needs. I am proud of the great progress made by the workgroup Council Tasked Recreation and Parks with Forming. And I want to share my appreciation for Director Reese and her team as well as Liz Reed and the Southwest Area Commission. Though this is not the path that I and many in the community wish the city would go down originally, the deal council amended and passed was significantly better. And I applaud the quick work that has been done since then to make substantial investments in the Southwest community. Next, I would like to share that we officially have a date for my youth programmers summit this fall. As a reminder, this summit is part of my ongoing Columbus Forward Policy Initiative focused on equitable investments in youth programming throughout our city. To start the conversation on how we achieve this goal, we will be hosting Catalyst, a forum for collaborative, stronger youth ecosystems on November 5th, 2026. This day long summit will gather youth serving nonprofits from across the city to discuss gaps in where youth are being served, strengthen relationships across organizations, and explore how we can collectively increase our impact. Additionally, there will be multiple workshops designed specifically to strengthen nonprofit leaders and the organizations they lead. Registration will be opening October 5th, but if you or anyone you know works in this space, be sure to save the date, November 5th. I also want to thank the over 300 volunteers who showed up on September 11th for our Day of Service event with the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. Together, we assembled 117,600 meal kits, and the youth put together 400 hygiene kits. The meal kits will be distributed by the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Thank you to my colleagues, nonprofits, businesses, and residents for participating in this community-wide act of service in remembrance of the events of September 11th, 25 years ago. And finally, I have a resolution this evening that I would like to introduce. And as I read the title, I would like to invite Michaela Black from the Recreation and Parks Department to the podium. Resolution 0198X-2026 to honor and recognize and celebrate Michaela Black for improving the health and wellbeing of residents by growing the sport of tennis in the city of Columbus. Over the past year, Michaela has grown Columbus Recreation and Parks Department's tennis programming from serving four community centers to 12 community centers across Columbus. Through partnerships with physical education teachers at Columbus City Schools, Michaela has introduced tennis programming to more than 1,000 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, helping expand access to the sport and create new opportunities for youth engagements. The United States Tennis Association, known as USTA, officially recognized Michaela Black as a 2026 United States Tennis Association's 35 by 35 President's Impact Award winner, which has awarded to 35 individuals across the country who have significantly contributed to the growth of tennis over the past two years. Additionally, the USTA Midwest selected her as a participant for the 2026 Diversity Coaches Inclusion Summit. And thanks to Michaela's efforts, Feddersen Community Center was named as an official National Junior Tennis and Learning Chapter in February 2026. Michaela, the impact you have had on expanding access to this community cannot be understated. Because of you, There are children in Columbus who see a future playing the sport that they now love, undoubtedly opening up new opportunities for so many who never had these opportunities before. Director Reese speaks so highly of you in all of our conversations, even remarking to us recently that when you were given this position, you told her that you now had your dream job. Your passion and dedication is evident in your work, and we are so proud that you're receiving the national recognition you deserve. Before I pass it over to Michaela, do any of my colleagues have any comments? Michaela, we'll pass the floor over to you if you'd like to share a few words.

I just want to say thank you so much and especially a huge thank you to Director Reese because without her and her vision, this wouldn't have been possible. Tennis has given me so many opportunities. I played at an HBCU on a full ride and then went to grad school as well. So I hope these same opportunities that I have, these kids can now see all the possibilities that they can have as well.

Oh, wonderful. Thank you again for all that you do for our youth and our city. And with that, I move for adoption.

Which HBCU?

Hampton University. Yay.

here. Clay, please call the roll.

Bankston, Day-Ochauer, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

Adopted.

Thank you, President. That's all for me.

Congratulations. Thank you, Council President. A couple announcements. One, we are currently in the public comment period for the second phase of Zone In, our zoning modernization initiative. We'll be having our second public hearing this Wednesday on September 16th at the King Arts Complex at 6 o'clock. That will include our friends in the administration from the Zone In team that will be doing an in-depth review of the proposed Phase 2 zoning districts. This is the second of four publicly scheduled hearings. If folks aren't able to make it in person, the hearing will be broadcast live on CTV, YouTube, and Facebook. Any residents that would like to provide written or public testimony, including sign up to speak at the hearing, please email kevinmccain at kbmccain at columbus.gov. Written testimony must be received by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, and please include written testimony in the subject line of that email. Also, I do want to acknowledge it's a little bit of a sad night for me here at council. We have the last council meeting for my legislative analyst, Ariel Garrett, who's been with us here for close to three years. She's moving on to a great job with the King Arts Complex, but she's been just an amazing, one of my favorite people I think I've ever worked with. So I just want to acknowledge that tonight is her last meeting here with us, and she will be greatly, greatly missed. So thank you for your service to council and all of Columbus, Ariel. That's all I have.

Ariel's leaving us. Jeezy Pete. No, we'll see you out there at the King Garth Complex. We're very, very proud of you. Congratulations. Council Member Green. Council Member Remy. Council Member Ross.

Nothing for me.

Council Member Weitz.

Thank you, Council President. One quick announcement this evening. The next Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee hearing will be held this Wednesday, September 16th at 5.30 p.m. It will take place here in Council Chambers and will cover the most recent changes made to the proposed data center policy package. If you're interested in providing in-person or written testimony, please reach out to my aide, Chelsea Goulterman, at C-L-G-O-L-T-E-R-M-A-N at Columbus.gov by noon tomorrow. The hearing is open to all members of the public. Like most of them, if you can't make it in person, it will be streamed live on the City of Columbus' YouTube channel and Columbus City Council's Facebook page, although I think we're figuring something out with both of them running at the same time. But we'd love to have you. That's it for me.

Thank you, Councilmember. I just want to make note of two things in the community. One, I want to acknowledge the passing of Dr. Louis Dodley. Dr. Dodley was someone who has served in many different ways, served at the Columbus Urban League for many years and working with the community, served at Alvis House with the reentry work, but a giant in our community. And so keeping his family and friends and community alive in our prayers, and not a passing, but a changing of times. I saw this morning that Black Arts Plus, led by Dr. Miller, is closing after 40 years on Parsons, and so I'm looking forward to stopping over there, thanking him. I think Dr. Miller is 94 years old and still was doing our framing, even up until this year, so we wish him the best in his retirement. Just wanted to make those two community statements. Are there any comments or questions from our elected officials offices? Seeing none, at this time, I request the following ordinance to be removed from the consent action portion of the agenda. In the Finance and Governance Committee, we have Ordinance 2270-2026. In the Economic Development and Small and Minority Business, we have Ordinance Numbers 2318-2026 and 2321-2026. Are there any other requests by members of council for the removal of an ordinance or resolution on tonight's consent agenda? Hearing none, are there any requests by members of council for the removal of an ordinance or resolution? May we now have the motion to waive the reading of titles of 30 legislation by the clerk. Clerk, please call the roll.

Thanks, Tenday. I'll call with Doris Green, Remy Ross, Vice President Hardin.

Thank you. Will the clerk now read into the records ordinance numbers of 30 legislation on tonight's agenda for first reading?

In Finance and Governance, we have Resolution 194X-2026. Economic Development and Small and Minority Business, we have Ordinances 2308, 2312, 2323, 2413, 2416, 2467, 2468, 2469, 2470, and 2482-2026. Public Service and Transportation Committee, we have Ordinances 2395 and 2494-2026. Health, Human Services, and Equity Committee, Ordinances 2180 and 2418-2026. Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, Ordinances 2421-2026. Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee, we have Ordinance 2403-2026. Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee, we have ordinances 2153, 2178, 2274, 2292, 2302, 2324, 2325, 2351, 2362, 2373, 2409, 2412, 2436, and 2560-2026. Rules and Policy Committee, we have ordinances 2483 and 2398-2026.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. It says we have a speaker on the first meeting, Ms. Chyna Wiley, but I don't see her here, and I think we pulled it. Anyway, so are there, the following ordinance appear on our agenda as consent action. Will the clerk now read those into the record?

Resolutions of expression 196X-2026, Finance and Governance Committee. We have ordinance 1747 and 2208, 2270, 22, I'm sorry. 2270 came off of consent. Ordinance 2289, 2309, 2411, 2415, 2486, and 2574-2026. Economic Development and Small and Minority Business Committee. We have Ordinance 2350, 2417, and 2546-2026. Public Service and Transportation Committee, we have Resolution 178X-2026, Ordinance 2023-2115, 2304-2367, and 2424-2026. Neighborhoods, Recreation, and Park Committee, Ordinance 2200 and 2322-2026. Workforce, Education, and Labor Committee, Ordinance 2370-2492, and 2495-2026. Health Human Services and Equity Committee, ordinances 2191, 2425, and 2577-2026. Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, ordinances 2003, 2314, 2435, and 2522-2026. Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee, ordinances 2402 and 2509-2026. Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee Ordinance 2149, 2256, and 2277-2026. Under Rules and Policies, we have appointments A184, A186, A187, A188, A189, A190, and A192-2026. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Are there any questions or comments on the consent portion of the agenda?

Hearing none, may I have a motion of approval of these items designated as consent? I'll move. Second. Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Aykower, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hart.

Consent agenda passed. We'll now proceed with the second reading, 30-day postponement of emergency legislation. The first committee to come before council is the Finance and Governance Committee, chaired by Councilman Bankston. Councilman, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President. May I first jump to page 9 on the agenda to read an ordinance? that was pulled off of the Finance and Governance Committee from consent. Thank you. For a second read that was pulled from the Consent Agenda Ordinance 2270-2026. This is to authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into contract with Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority for the purpose of distributing an additional 2% to the 2026 admissions tax proceeds from the facility stabilization fund for the purpose of infrastructure investment in nationwide arena to authorize the appropriation and expenditure of an estimated 870 000 from the facility stabilization fund and to declare an emergency last december this body unanimously approved ordinance 3343-2025 which increased the arena admissions fee by 2% from 5%, so to a total of 7% to support necessary renovations to Nationwide Arena. This ordinance disperses those dollars approximately collected so far, $870,000 associated with tax increases authorized under Ordinance 3343-2025, which again was adopted by Council. last year unanimously. This went into effect July 1 of this year. And just for a refresher, it does not change the current 5% in its formula. The 2% goes directly back to the nationwide arena for that extensive renovation that they are looking to do. Again, those are user-based fees. They are not general fund tax dollars or tax fees, but they are from those that go to events at nationwide arena. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none at this time, I move for passage by voice.

Your second.

THANK YOU COUNCIL PRESIDENT NOW MAY I JUMP TO PAGE 15 TO READ UH RESOLUTION IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE SMALL MINOR BUSINESS COMMITTEE THANK YOU NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE OR SORRY RESOLUTION 0190X-2026 TO DETERMINE

that the petition to establish the West Bend Community Authority is sufficient and complies with the requirements of Chapter 349 of the Ohio Revised Code to set the time and place for a hearing on the petition to authorize the notice of such hearing by publication in a newspaper or general circulation for three consecutive weeks or as provided in the Ohio Revised Code Section 7.16 and to declare an emergency. This resolution determines the sufficiency of the petition to create a new community authority at the West Bend development site. Determining the sufficiency of this petition is the first step in the new community authority creation process. More legislative action will be required prior to the establishment of the authority. This is part of the economic development agreement with Thrive Companies that was authorized by council in 2023. This new community authority for West Bend will impose community development charges to provide public infrastructure improvements Expected expected services such as coordinating delivery of water and sanitary sewer services provided by the city and many more things If there any questions or comments from my colleagues seeing none I move for pass it for adoption Bankston day I coward doors green Remy Ross whites president hard Thank You council president still jumping around may I jump to page 10 of TO READ THE TWO ADDITIONAL ORDINANCES FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SMALL MINORITY BUSINESS COMMITTEE THAT WERE REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2318-2026 TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT TO AMEND THE ENTERPRISE ZONE AGREEMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION WITH COI ALKAIR INDUSTRIAL LLC TO, ONE, REMOVE COI ALKAIR INDUSTRIAL LLC AS ENTERPRISE AND PARTY TO THE AGREEMENT and to be replaced with Jim Patson Development Inc. as enterprise and party to the agreement, and two, to revise the description of the project site, and three, to revise the notification information related to the enterprise within Section 8 of the agreement. This ordinance and the following ordinance 2321-2026 amend two unanimously approved enterprise zone agreements from 2022 to apply said agreements to the current owners. This ordinance replaces COI Alkire Industrial LLC with Jim Patson Development Inc. as the enterprise and party to the agreement. 2321-2026 also replaces COI Alkire Industrial LLC with COI Alkyra Industrial II LLC. These agreements and these assignment and assumptions ordinances are necessary to comply with state reporting requirements related to enterprise zone agreements and are a necessity. I just want to clarify that this does not change the agreement itself or any of the things that were agreed to by the developer. These are what we call proactive industrial where a developer builds a site before knowing who will occupy it. Once someone decides to occupy it or become said employer, they take responsibility of what was agreed to. So in this case, the job creation as well as the minimum wage will still be adhered to. We take these types of agreements very, very seriously, and when they are transferred, that responsibility stays with that property and doesn't just simply go away. So all we're doing here today is just changing who that responsibility is of who is going to be responsible for creating the jobs as well as paying the wages attached to those. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage by voice.

Second. So just call the roll by voice.

Bankston?

Yes.

Dayakower? Yes. Dorrance? Yes. Green? No. Ramey? Yes. Ross? Yes. White? Yes. President Hardin? Yes.

Thank you. And next we have Ordinance 2321-2026 from the Consent Agenda to authorize the Director of Department of Development to amend the Enterprise Zone Agreement for the first time for assignment and assumption with COI Alkire Industrial LLC to remove COI Alkire Industrial LLC from AS THE ENTERPRISE AND PARTY TO THE AGREEMENT AND TO BE REPLACED WITH COI ALKAIR INDUSTRIAL 2 LLC AS ENTERPRISE AND PARTY TO THE AGREEMENT TO REVISE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT SITE AND TO REVISE THE NOTICE INFORMATION RELATED TO ENTERPRISE WITHIN SECTION 8 OF THE AGREEMENT. AND AS I DESCRIBED IN THE ORDERS ABOVE, AGAIN, THIS WAS ADOPTED BY COUNSEL UNANIMOUSLY AND AGAIN JUST ASSIGNING A NEW COMPANY TO uphold those promises in that agreement. Any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for a passage by voice.

Bank stim?

Yes.

Dayakower? Yes. Dorrance? Yes. Green? No. Ramey?

Yes.

Ross? Yes. White? Yes. President Hardin?

Yes. Ordinance is passed.

Thank you, Council President. Now may I jump to the Rules and Policy Committee for one ordinance to read there? Please. Thank you. Tonight in Rules and Policy Committee for second read, we have Ordinance 2349-2026 to amend Ordinance No. 1687-2025 to correct an error in the text used to amend Chapter 328 of the Columbus City Code's Last year the city amended various sections of Columbus City codes to reflect the updated division of real estate and land Redevelopment within the Department of Development at that time chapter 328 which contained the Land Review Commission Was amended to bring the chapter in line with the divisions updated duties however in doing so section 328.02 which outlines the composition of the Land Review Commission was inadvertently repealed due to a drafting error. This ordinance seeks to amend Ordinance 1687-2025 to correct that error. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage.

Please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayock, Howard-Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair. The next committee to come before Council is the Neighborhoods Recreation and Parks Committee, chaired by Council Member Dayakar. Council Member, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President. Ordinance 1091-2026 to authorize the Director of the Department of Development with the approval of the Director of Recreation and Parks Department to execute and acknowledge any documents as approved by the City Attorney necessary to quick claim grant Columbia Gas of Ohio Incorporated a non-exclusive easement burdening a portion of the city's real property commonly known as Olentangy Park. This ordinance authorizes the Department of Development to grant a non-exclusive easement to Columbia Gas to install and maintain a gas line through Olentangy Park within the Kenny Park Nature Preserve adjacent to the old Beachwald neighborhood. Columbia Gas seeks to abandon in-place and replace a line that is old and at risk. Over the course of identifying where their new gas line could be routed, Recreation Parks and the City Attorney helped to locate the least disruptive location possible. In particular, the proposed route will be a subsurface, meaning the new line will be installed underground through horizontal directional drilling, allowing for no tree impacts or natural resource impacts. Alternative routes, unfortunately, would have been through conservation areas above the surface. More specifically, Routing the new gas line elsewhere might affect trees, wetlands, a bald eagle's nest, sports fields, and CRPD programming. At the first reading of this ordinance, we received testimony seeking clarification on the specifics of this project, including technical details on the pipeline and the route. We also received written testimony with further questions from concerned citizens. All of these questions have been addressed, and detailed responses were sent to those groups and my colleagues. Thank you to Tina Moen, Greg Brown, Jeff Bennington, and Columbia Gas for your help in answering all those questions. Although I know many, like myself, had a pretty strong initial reaction to hearing the words gas pipeline and nature preserve together, after learning more, this really does appear to be the least intrusive option for this project. By working with Columbia Gas, Recreation Parks has been able to have input in how the work is done and require the underground approach that better protects the preserve and eliminates the alternatives, which again would have had impacts to mature trees, Kenney Nature Preserve, Anheuser-Busch Park, and potentially the wetlands and streams. Additionally, Reckon Parks was able to restrict vegetation removal and the use of chemicals and machinery. Reckon Parks also denied an exclusive easement, insisting on being non-inclusive and eliminated the surface rights from 50 feet to a five foot wide walking path. Do any of my colleagues have any questions or comments?

Chair, just one quick question. One, appreciate getting all the answers related to those questions. This is really helpful. The only piece I did not see, and I'm just curious, if there will be a post-construction inspection, although horizontal underground drilling can be helpful to prevent trees from being removed, if that drill goes through the root ball of a tree, that tree most likely will still die just based on the actual construction that's going on. So do we intend, or does Columbia Gas intend to walk that route once it is completed so that if there are trees that are lost, we may be able to recover them?

Director Reuss, if you could answer, please.

Thank you, President Hardin, Chair DeJong, our Council Member White. Our arborists work with Columbia Gas on making sure that trees are not impacted. If they are, there is a mitigation fee that Columbia Gas will take care of. to ensure that that tree is replaced.

Perfect. Thank you so much, Derek.

Thank you.

If there are no other questions, I move for passage.

Call the roll.

Thanks, Dinda Yak. Howard Norsgreen, Remy Ross, Vice President Hardin.

Passed.

Thank you.

Next, we have Ordinance 2202-2026 to authorize the Director of Columbus Recreation Parks Department to enter into contract with Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District to support the Columbus Recreation and Park Department Tree Assistance Program and to authorize the expenditure of $62,200 from the Recreation and Park Special Purpose Fund. The Tree Assistance Program allows private landowners like residents and businesses to apply for grant funds to plant trees on their private property. The Columbus Urban Forestry Team continues to work every day towards the goal of a 40% tree canopy by 2050. However, Rec and Parks can only plant trees on public land, and the vast majority of the land in our city is privately owned, and so we cannot reach our goals for our tree canopy by only planting on city land. This is why programs like the Tree Assistance Program are so important to help lower the barrier many residents and business owners face in increasing the tree canopy on their land. Additionally, given the severe storms we experienced last month, my hope is that this program will be a great resource for those who may have lost their trees to storm damage. Applications for the program usually open in the spring with plantings occurring in the fall, and those interested can learn more by visiting the Franklin Soil and Water website and social media pages. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard-Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

Next up is Ordinance 2204-2026, to authorize the Director of Recreation Parks Department to modify an existing contract with Kimberley Horn and Associates Incorporated for the Gender Road Park and McCoy Park Improvements Project to authorize the transfer of $941,941.53 between the General Fund Income Tax Set-Aside Sub-Fund and the Recreation Parks Bond Fund to authorize the appropriation of $941,941.53 in the Income Tax Set-Aside Sub-Fund and Recreation Parks Voted Bond Fund to authorize expenditure of $941,941.53 from the Recreational Parks Voted Bond Fund and to declare an emergency. As I mentioned, this contract is an important first step in investing in parkland in our Southwest community following the NWSL deal. This ordinance takes the original design contract for McCoy park and modifies it to add funds for the redesign of the city owned portion of McCoy park, as well as designs for the new park at green leaf and the new adaptive field at Berliner park. All three of these projects are the result of an intense 60 days of deliberation and conversation from the work group that council legislated following the passage of the NWSL expansion deal. I'm glad to see these projects get off the ground as we work towards expanding access to recreation for members of the Southwest community. Once there are substantial updates related to these designs and the construction of the parks, Reckon Parks will share the designs with the community for feedback as they do with all park developments. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage.

Second.

Vice President Hardin. Banks, Tendayoc, Howard-Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

And finally, you have ordinance 2490 dash 2026 to authorize the director of recreation parks to enter into contract with Otis elevator company for elevator repair services to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus city code chapter three 29 to authorize expenditure of $135,540 from the recreation parks operating fund and to declare an emergency. The elevator at the Priscilla R Tyson cultural arts center is currently inoperable. A vital component to the power systems of the elevator has broken down unexpectedly and it is inoperable until the systems are repaired. Due to the age of the elevator, it is necessary to replace and modernize numerous components and systems to provide for safe operation. The estimated lead time to perform necessary services is up to 18 weeks, but arts programming is ongoing at this facility. The facility is currently not accessible to all staff and participants, making this emergency repair critical and a bid waiver necessary. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues?

Chair. So I know recently we just passed the UTC and another contract for another vendor for elevator service repair. I'm just curious, why is this not a vendor under the UTC? Why is this not a contract under the UTC?

President Hardin, Chair Dayock, our council members, Fugitech holds the city UTC. We worked with them for nearly four weeks trying to ensure that they had the parts. They could not find the parts for the elevator. The company also, there was another company that also could not find the parts, so what we did was put out an informal bid, and that replacement is to replace all the parts, modernize the power system component for the elevator. It's not a repair, but it's simply repairing, replacing all the aging systems that come with the elevator itself. Thank you, Director. You're welcome.

The more we learn about elevator contracts, the more we all went into the wrong business. So I appreciate you giving us that feedback. Thank you, Councilmember.

If there aren't other questions, I move for passage.

Bankstead, Ayak, Howard, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin. Thank you. That's all I have in my committee this evening.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Next committee to come before council is the Health and Human Services Committee.

What committee? Rules and Policy.

Oh, Rules and Policy. We'll go to Rules and Policy then. Council Member Dorrance. Thank you, Council President.

A little out of order, but appreciate it. In Rules and Policy Committee, I have Ordinance Number 2455-2026 to amend Section 107.02, Campaign Finance, the Columbus City Codes. This ordinance authorizes a change to Section 107.02 The Columbus City Coaches limits contributions to and among municipal campaign committees. Over the past several months, council members have engaged with many folks, but particularly people from the Our City, Our State Coalition around council structure reforms, and broader election reforms related to the body. Changes to campaign finance law emerged as a shared priority in some of those discussions, and this legislation will implement our agreed change on being implemented on January 1st of 2027. This code change will update the current city code provisions that establish limits on individual and committee campaign contributions. This change will reduce the maximum of the municipal campaign to one half of the state limit and limit the amount that a campaign committee can contribute to another campaign committee to twice that amount. This code change will also apply new limits to in-kind contributions between those municipal campaign committees as well, eliminating the potential for limitless contributions between and among campaigns. We do have one public speaker assigned to speak against this ordinance, and that is Mr. Joe Motil. Mr. Motil, welcome back to council.

Good evening.

President Hardin, Pro Tem, Dorrance, members of council. These contribution limits do nothing to even slightly level the playing field for citizens challenging major party endorsed candidates and incumbent office holders. Columbus voters need comprehensive campaign finance election law solutions that are thought out with honest intentions that will address a truly representative people's government. And that can only be rightfully accomplished through public hearings and not just by two city council readings. As many of us know, contributions can and will be funneled into and through the Franklin County Democratic Party, ODP, and into incumbent and endorsed candidates' campaigns, thus circumventing proposed campaign finance reform legislation. One only needs to look at our illustrious mayor and how federal court documents showed that a $20,000 campaign contribution from red light camera vendor Redflex was secured by former lobbyist John Rayfield and then given to the Ohio Democratic Party and sent to Mayor Ginther's campaign committee. The proposed limits are still too high. Over the last seven years, contribution limits have risen by nearly $4,000 due to automatic increases based on CPI inflation rates. Single contribution limits should be capped. In-kind contributions should mirror those of Cincinnati that places an $1,100 individual limit, $2,700 from PACs, and $10,500 from political parties. 23 years ago, council created a nine-member task force to make recommendations on campaign finance. They recommended a $1,000 per person limit for auditors, city attorney, council candidates, a $10,000 maximum carryover for municipal candidates other than the mayor, which was set at $20,000. and candidates in their campaign committees would be prohibited from giving to other municipal candidates. Bold yet reasonable recommendations. But of course, then Mayor Coleman and council members rejected the recommendations due to their overwhelming financial backing from developers, labor, and the business community, along with having to spend significantly more time raising money. There's been much talk about the just over $350,000 of combined in-kind contributions from council members Dorns, Remy, and Harden to council member Tiara Ross's campaign that helped benefit her victory last November. The practice of handing out unlimited contributions has been taking place for quite some time. During former city councilwoman Priscilla Tyson's 2017 council race, a combined $173,000 of in-kind contributions were given to her by then-councilmen Harden and Mitchell Brown. The practice of municipal campaign committees giving to one another clearly demonstrates the obvious reality of indebtedness from one candidate to another. In closing, as part of this legislation's code change fact sheet document, it states, quote, This code change was included as part of a package of a broader governmental and elections reform discussion with representatives of our city, our state coalition, end of quote. The campaign finance reform legislation is being implemented based on conversations with a handful of people from a specific organization without input from the city as a whole. We need reforms. such as prohibiting the solicitation and acceptance of campaign contributions from all vendors, developers, and other persons or groups who have a financial interest in the city business while such business is pending before council. Create a public campaign financing program similar to that of Austin, Denver, LA, Portland, Seattle, and dozens of other cities. allow the use of taxpayer-paid Columbus government TV for candidates used to air the League of Women Voters and other public candidate forums. By adding these types of reforms and others, one could accurately boast of, quote, historic legislation. And only then can the for sale sign at City Hall begin to diminish. So I respectfully request that you table this legislation and hold public hearings on this important issue. Thank you. Glad to answer any questions. Excuse me. Any questions?

Any questions for our speaker? I see none. Thank you. Thanks. I do, again, want to emphasize to my council colleagues, this was born out of, I think, again, that broader discussion. And I certainly don't think that this is the ending place for any of these discussions. We can and should always be thinking about ways to make this body more representative and more transparent to the people. I think at the end of the day, there's a fair point about how do these decisions get made. I think it was important based upon this being part of those broader discussions this council bring this now and not wait for months and months and months and months, that the next campaign cycle has these types of limits in place. Certainly folks can and should engage in further dialogue and discussions on this, but I think this is a good starting point, and particularly as we think about what this should look like in the future. I think we've done some things, I think, get us to a place that makes significant changes to what the current code allows and doesn't allow. So with that, unless there's any questions or comments from my colleagues, I move for passage. Second. Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Heard.

Pass. And, Council President, that's all I have at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Next committee to come before Council is the Health Human Services and Equity Committee, chaired by Council Member Green. Council Member, the floor is yours.

Thank you so much, Council President. Tonight we have one ordinance on second reading in our Health, Human Services and Equity Committee. It is Ordinance 2243-2026 to authorize the appropriation of $1 million from the unappropriated balance of the income tax set aside or the ITSA sub fund to support crisis response activity costs and to declare an emergency. At this point in time, while actually, you know, I think we're all, I have questions about this ordinance, so I'm going to get to those questions in a minute. I just want to express my ongoing support for this work regarding alternate crisis. I know that when during our last budget process when the administration announced that they were to add an additional million dollars into the Work of our alternate crisis program. I think we were all really energized by that adding a team of additional six employees To do that work to be able to support our most vulnerable residents and so, you know, I guess I At this point in time, maybe I'll kick it over to Assistant Health Commissioner Krause just to explain a little bit more about this ordinance and what this appropriation is going to be.

Thank you. Council President Hardin, Chair Green, and council members. The Mobile Crisis Response Unit plays a critical role in providing the right response at the right time to our residents in behavioral health and addiction emergencies. Mobile Crisis Response Teams of specially trained Columbus police officers and Columbus public health clinicians provide professional, compassionate, and dedicated response to those who need mental health and addiction services and their families through de-escalation and linkage to resources and referrals. The program directs individuals to medical stabilization, care connection, and crisis centers rather than a jail or emergency room so they can get the help that they need. Mobile crisis response teams ensure the dignity of all people meeting them where they are to provide the high-quality services that are right for them. On average, our mobile crisis response serves nearly 3,000 residents in need each year. This effort is a win for our residents and our community, improving health outcomes for community members, reducing demands on police resources, and improving safety for officers, consumers, and the community. This investment will further strengthen the city's ability to deliver high quality care and appropriate response to a residence in crisis. Due to our work with the mobile crisis response program, we've been asked to ask by city finance to submit this funding request to council. These funds will be used for a variety of expenses to support the civilian crisis response team, including vehicles, a therapy dog and supplies. And so for specifics on this request from finance, I would defer to Director Long.

Thank you so much. A question for the city auditor's office. Can we get an understanding of what appropriate use of it's a funds is. I know that we've been having a lot of conversations about the use of it's a funding, um, for things that traditionally have been, uh, that may or may not have been covered, um, by the, by the general fund. I know last year we had a seven and a half million dollar allocation, which was the outgoing general fund allocation towards our alternate crisis programs. Then we had an additional million dollars. My understanding is that, um, allocation was to be general fund dollars and, um, and now it has seems to be transferred into that. Can you talk a little bit about allowable? Um, what would be allowable under the use of those funds?

Madam Chair, that might be a good opportunity to actually have the auditor speak on that, not a representative from her staff. I see what you're getting at, but I think that might be either when we bring – if we take the vote to refer it back to committee, then I think this is an extended conversation. Again, I see where you're going with this, and I think these are credible questions, but I'm just not sure that the auditor's office in its current state is ready to speak to this.

Okay. Director Long, could you talk a little bit about the – about the funding source to fund this work and how we imagine seeing this grow as we are looking to grow the alternate crisis response programs in the future.

Yes. President Hardin, thank you. Chair Green and members of council. So some background with the expansion of the Alternative Crisis Response Program this year. The majority of that is personnel, as I understand it, but also supplies and services. And so to make room in Columbus Public Health's operating budget for that expansion of services. We budgeted a million dollars in the income tax set aside fund for this year. And so this particular piece of legislation appropriates dollars and it's a And allows for only eligible expenses to be moved From Columbus Boca House budget to the income tax set-aside fund so certainly I understand otter Lewis should speak to the auditor's office position, but we would ensure that only expenses that would be submitted to the auditor's office and deemed eligible would be moved there and and they would be non-personnel in nature. ITSA does not allow for personnel expenses to be borne by that fund, and so no personnel-related expenses would be moved there.

Do we have a breakdown of what that million dollars of expenses are anticipated to be? It seems like a high for a program that's total budget is $7.5 million, then to all of a sudden have a $1 million capital cost associated with it. That seems like a large percentage.

And happy to get that for you, council member, working with Columbus Public Health to pull together a comprehensive list of what those costs and expenses would be, but all non-personnel in nature.

We do have one public speaker that signed up to speak on this ordinance, and I'm going to go ahead and call her up. It is Chana Wiley, representing the Columbus Safety Collective. Chana, welcome back to council. Thank you so much for being here and for your work and supporting this program, or THESE EFFORTS. I THINK, AGAIN, WE'RE ALL VERY COMMITTED TO THEM. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SUSTAINABLE REVENUE STREAM THAT IS FUNDING THIS WORK SO THAT IT CAN NOT JUST SUSTAIN IT IN ITS CURRENT FORM BUT HELP IT GROW IN THE FUTURE. CHAWNA, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

THANK YOU. PRESIDENT HARTEN, PRESIDENT PROTEM DORANS AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TODAY IN SUPPORT OF ORDINANCE 2243. authorizing a $1 million application to support alternative crisis response in our city. As you are aware, the Columbus Safety Collective is a coalition of community members and advocates invested in realizing a fully funded and operational non-police crisis response team in our city. We are proud to work in response. We are proud to work in partnership with the city and other stakeholders to bring Issue 5's overwhelming success to fruition. While we are pleased to see the city's investment in alternative response models, we know that the real work is just getting started. It is evident from the city's own research that Columbus must continue investing in alternate crisis responses and take real steps toward implementing voters Issue 5 mandate as the well-being of neighbors hangs in the balance. The city is at risk of falling behind Issue 5's timeline, requiring the rollout of response teams by 2028 and making them available 24 hours per day by 2030. Before time passes, Council must work with Mayor Ginther's administration to stand up the voter-approved advisory board that will inform the rollout of these critical services. We encourage you to advance this ordinance and to utilize it as a launch pad for your prompt attention to meeting the demands that were expressed so clearly by your constituents just four months ago. We are ready to work alongside you and look forward to making Columbus a safer place for all our neighbors. And I just kind of have a question to throw out with the administration and this advisory board. Who is going to be the point?

Person to get this started and I would like to have an answer like as soon as possible Yeah, I'll kick that over to assistant health commissioner Kraus if you could provide any update on timeline for For the advisory committee and who might be a leading it I know the thank you chair green the community crisis response advisory panel will be led by

Columbus Public Health Assistant Health Commissioner Edward Johnson from the administration and City Council Senior Legislative Advisory John Oswalt. They'll be the principal staffers assigned to this. I do not have a timeline, but certainly can get that for you.

Yeah, and I mean, maybe we can work together to figure out, you know, I think there was specific timelines built in in terms of you know, application dates when we need those applications open, when we plan on people being seated. And so thanks for keeping us accountable to that, Shauna. We'll get you updates pretty shortly. Um, okay. So obviously the conversations, I mean, you know, the way that the ordinance was worded, obviously jumped out. You know, I think the focus of this ordinance was, it was just, it's a, and alternate crisis and very little details in terms of what the, it's a money is actually going to be funding. And these are conversations that we have had a lot lately in the context of our city's budget, just in terms of reliance on it's a dollars. Um, and the way that is impacting our capital capacity. I know we just had a briefing today about a very ambitious outlook for our capital budget, while at the same time, you know, we're really struggling to sort of understand how all those numbers are going to work. And I know it's something we're going to continue to dig in on. So at this point in time, while we wait to try to get some of those answers, I'm going to move to refer this ordinance back to committee.

Clerk, please. What I would like to do, I think that There were two issues that were brought up. Council Chair Greene is bringing up this conversation that truly is a finance conversation. It needs to be a broader conversation around its use, its impact on the capital budget, And that is a very real, and I think a lot of members on council share that concern. But there is also strong support for moving what the voters approved forward and growing this program forward. And I think what Ms. Wiley asked for is equally important, and I don't want to gloss over that. And so as we work, because I do anticipate This ordinance coming back in short order with some understanding from all the council member around funding that we also have some clarity in terms of the advisory committee that was also committed to. I know that council has been asking for months now for that committee to be seated and it has not been. And so I think that is a good time in parallel to bring both of those conversations back together. So clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Pass. Are referred. I apologize.

Thank you, Council President. That's all for me.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Next committee to come before Council is the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee. That committee is chaired by Councilman Remy. Councilman, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Council President. Tonight in Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, I have one item for second read. It is 2281-2026. to authorize the Director of Public Safety on behalf of the Division of Police to modify the contract with ProToe Inc. to add funding for the continuation of towing management services, to authorize an expenditure of $1 million from the Immobility Fund, and to declare an emergency. This ordinance adds $1 million to the Division of Police's existing contract with ProToe to continue towing management services throughout the rest of this year. Earlier this year, Ordinance 940-2026 provided $1.3 million from the General Fund for these towing management services, covering the first six months of the fiscal year. Tonight's ordinance adds $1 million from the Mobility Fund to continue those services, bringing the funding authorized through these two ordinances to $2.3 million. The ordinance requests emergency passage. This funding can be made available promptly for the continuation of towing management services. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Yes, Council Member White.

Chair, appreciate the overview. I'm just curious because I'm pretty sure finance has a universal term contract with the same vendor. Is there a reason why there are separate contracts for public safety versus what finance and management is utilizing?

Thanks, President Hardin and Councilmember Weish. I'll have to look into that, Councilmember. I don't know off the top of my head, but I'm happy to do some research and get back to you.

No worries. I appreciate that. I mean, I think a year ago we all got briefed on a strategic budgeting process from the mayor's administration to really avoid things like this where multiple departments need the same service and instead of having six or seven different vendor contracts, we have one universal term contract that everyone can utilize. I think if we do not have departments talking about how they are using the outside vendors, we're always going to run into this where the issues with Columbus Water and Power aren't taken into consideration when these contracts are developed or some other department. So I think it's important that we get back to that conversation around strategic budgeting and how we limit the amount of multiple vendors doing the same work that we have as a city.

Thank you very much, Council Member. Are there any other questions from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage.

Thank you very much, Council President. That's all I have for this evening.

Mr. Chair, next committee coming for council is the Housing, Homelessness, and Building Committee, chaired by Council Member Ross. Council Member, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President. Today, out of Housing, Homelessness, and Building, we have four pieces of legislation on second reading. The first three will result in over $800,000 deployed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. The mission of the Lead Safe Columbus Program is to create lead-safe and healthy affordable housing to prevent the lead poisoning of children and adults in Columbus neighborhoods. This program provides funding to eligible property owners for lead-based paint hazard control, addressing healthy homes, hazards, and radon testing mitigation systems in tenant and owner-occupied units. Applicants may be eligible to receive an average of $22,000 in grant funds for lead-based paint hazard control, in addition to $4,200 in healthy home repairs and up to $1,600 in radon testing and mitigation systems. Before I move into reading the legislation, I would like to ask the department to share just a few words regarding the impact of this funding in our community.

Thank you. Chair Ross, Council President Hardin, members of council, appreciate the opportunity to share a little bit of information with you about Lead Safe Columbus. The program is critical to ensuring that not only do we have stable and affordable housing for our city's families, but also that it is safe. The program is a key part of the preservation pillar of the Columbus housing strategy. It invests in our existing housing infrastructure so that as we grow, not only are we adding the housing we need, but also ensuring that the housing we have in our city is healthy and safe. The program's mission is to prevent the lead poisoning of children and adults in Columbus neighborhoods. The program relies on federal funding to identify and address lead-based paint hazards, healthy home repairs, and install radon mitigation. The Lead Safe Program received its first HUD-funded grant through the Office of Lead in Healthy Homes in 1996. The most recent award was granted in March 2025 for the funding of $7.65 million to be used through March of 2029. The program requires a number of partners, including vendors and contractors, temporary relocation providers, licensed state lead risk assessors, state licensed radon companies, EPA certified training providers, and state licensed lead abatement contractors to make the work possible so that families can reside safely in their homes. In this current grant cycle to date, Lead Safe Columbus has completed 30 projects with the goal to preserve the current housing stock within the city limits by contributing lead safe and lead abatement activities, healthy home repairs, and the radon system installations in 114 units by that March of 2029 date. The ordinance before you this evening are to add funding and extend contract terms, which are necessary due to increased construction costs driven by inflation, higher material prices, labor shortages, contractor availability, and expanded rehabilitation needs identified during the inspections. We appreciate your willingness to consider this legislation and the contract extensions and additional funding so the team in the Department of Development can continue this important work. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Director Prosser. First ordinance on second read is ordinance number 2296-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Development to enter into a plan modification of a contractor with SAVCON Construction LLC to extend the contract term end date from December 31st, 2026 to December 31st, 2027, as well as to increase funding in an amount up to $300,000 for lead abatement and healthy home repair services utilizing an existing auditor's certificate established for this purpose. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage. Banks, Denday, Ock, Howard, Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hart. Thank you, Council President. Second is 2297-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Development to enter into a plan modification of a contract with Newark Building Solutions to extend the agreement term end date from December 31st, 2026 to December 31st, 2027, as well as to increase funding in an amount up to $225,000 for lead abatement and healthy home repair services utilizing an existing auditor's certificate established for this purpose. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage. Thank you, Council President. The third is 2298-2026 to authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a plan modification of a contract with Reliable Home Improvements of Ohio Incorporated to extend the contract term end date from December 31, 2026 to December 31, 2027, as well as to increase funding in an amount up to $300,000 for lead abatement and healthy home repair services, utilizing an existing auditor certificate established for this purpose. Are there any questions or comments from my colleagues? Seeing none, I move for passage. Second. Let's do the follow-up.

Banks, Tendayoc, Howard, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weish, President Hardin.

Final piece of legislation coming out of the housing, building, and housing homelessness and building Committee is ordinance number 2299-2026 to authorize the director of the Department of Development to enter into a plan modification of a contract with Kenneth Burgess, DPA, Savoir, Fair Solutions, LLC, to extend the contract term and date from December 31st, 2026 to December 31st, 2027, as well as to increase funding in an amount up to $100,000 for lead abatement and healthy home repair services utilized utilizing an existing auditor's certificate established for this purpose. I'm going to move to refer this ordinance to committee for further discussions by council. There's a few questions that we still have outstanding. We'll get those questions answered and bring them back before council at a later date. Second. Second.

Please call the roll.

Banks, Tendayoc, Howard, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hart.

I'll refer back to committee.

Thank you.

That's it for me, Council President.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The next committee coming for council is the Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee, chaired by Councilmember Weiss. Councilmember McClure is yours.

Thank you, Council President. Tonight I have one ordinance in Public Utilities and Sustainability Committee this evening, and that is Ordinance 2320-2026 to amend the background Section 2 and Section 4 of Ordinance 1554-2021, allowing expenditure from the Sustainable Columbus Fund Special Revenue Fund by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. I move to refer this back to committee.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Banks, Ndiaye, Coward, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hart.

Refer back to committee.

Thank you. That's all I have for my committee this evening. However, I do have a code change in Rules and Policy. May I continue? Please. All right. Rules and Policy have Ordinance 2265-2026 to amend Chapter 1147 of Columbus City Code to streamline industrial billing charges related to sampling, laboratory analysis, and inspection, and to repeal the existing sections being amended. This ordinance removes outdated Columbus City Code references while modernizing and simplifying the billing process Industrial users, in conjunction with the implementation of a new department-wide billing software, the amended language established a simplified calculation to determine how industrial users' charges are calculated rather than using a static rate table. Let me stop there, see if any questions or comments from my colleagues. Seeing none, I move for passage.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Doris Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

Thank you. That is all I have tonight.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The final committee to come before council is the Rules Committee, in which I chair. I have the final ordinance. That is Ordinance 1883-2026. This is to amend and enact the various provisions of Chapter 375 of Columbus City Code in order to strengthen the levying, collection, and allocations of emission tax for facility stabilization receipts. This ordinance is associated with the National Women's Soccer League vote that took place back in April. Folks can remember then that the initial plan committed $25 million to support construction of the team's training facility as part of the league's requirements on a public-private partnership. When counsel was briefed on this plan in February, Councilmember Bankston and I negotiated an alternative that we felt was more responsible. to tax tickets at Scott's Miracle Grove Field so that the folks who would use the stadium for games would be the ones who paid for this investment. So this effectively turned the city's commitment to the project from a grant into a loan so when the stadium sells out, it will pay for itself. And that legislation we voted on last April includes multiple safeguards so that the admissions fee does not perform as expected so that if it does not perform as expected, We, the city, have the option of charging back the difference to the ownership group. So what this ordinance does this evening is implement that new plus 2% fee, bringing the total emissions fee on ticketed events at Scott's Merrill Road to 7%. To be clear, the existing 5% fee on the crew games and the other events will continue going to the Greater Columbus Arts Council, but the additional 2% will go to this fund. For the new NWSL games, the full 7% will go towards the repayment. And importantly, this isn't permanent diversion of that revenue. Once the $25 million is fully repaid, which Auditor Kilgore had estimated would take less than a decade, that additional 2% will continue to come into the city, and future councils can decide in city code how to best spend those resources to invest in the arts or put forward to our human services, or somewhere else. So this legislation was initially sent to us in June by the Department of Development, but it was held at the time because we wanted to make sure that we had more progress on the McCoy Park Plan. Since then, the working group that the City Council required formation of has issued its report to fully replace and expand the park and recreation options. The Neighborhood Area Commission unanimously approved the rezoning and Reckon Parks is moving forward with land acquisition and design contracts for the new parks, including even today. So we are certainly comfortable moving forward now with this fee, which will become effective at Scott's on January 1st. Are there any additional questions or comments considering this ordinance? Seeing none, is there a motion to approve? Is there a second? Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Passed. See no further business coming for council. Is there a motion to adjourn? So moved. Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorns, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

The meeting is adjourned.

We have two non-agenda...

Thank you. Let's go. Thank you. Thank you. ¶¶ Thank you. Thank you. ¶¶ Thank you. you you

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Can I get a motion to dismiss with the reading of the journal? Second. Clerk, please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Are there any additions or corrections to the journal? Hearing none, the journal is approved. We'll now go to the zoning committee. Council Member Doris, Chair, that committee, all members serve on it. Council Member, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Council President. Before we begin our agenda, first a little bit of housekeeping. Would the clerk please read the numbers of legislation in the zoning committee this evening that require a waiver of second reading?

Rezonings, Ordinance 2452-2026, and Variants, Ordinance 2253-2026. Thank you.

I now move to waive second reading on those items. Second.

I'd like to follow up. Bankston, Dayak, Howard-Dorans, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hardin.

Waived. Thank you. As always, I will go ahead and briefly explain our rules. Speaking for rezonings and variances, we only hear staff presentation for ordinance that have a disapproval from a recommending body or if we have a public speaker sign to speak against an ordinance. We permit three speakers on each side, three proponents, three opponents. We ask those speakers to limit their remarks to three minutes for the scene of real city council. All speakers and council variants, including city staff, area commissioners, applicants, and members of the public will be sworn in before they give testimony. A representative of an area commission is always able to speak in an ordinance and do not need to fill out a speaker slip. We do ask you to alert city staff of your intention to speak at this hearing. Representatives of a civic association do need to fill out a speaker slip because civic associations are not formally recognized under Columbus City Code. This evening, we do not have any public speakers to speak on our agenda. On the advice of the city attorney's office, we'll now swear in the city staff, please stand and raise your right hand and be sworn in. Do you swear from the testimony you're about to give, shall be the truth, nothing but the truth, as you shall answer in the pains of penalty and perjury. If so, please say I do.

I do.

Thank you. Please let the record reflect that Tony Salabrizi and Joseph Rose from the Department of Building and Selling Services have been sworn in. First, we have ordinance number 2452-2026 to rezone 1600 Stilwell Road being 21.3 plus acres located in the north side of Stilwell Road, 310 plus feet east of Harmon Avenue from our rural district, R3 residential district, C1 commercial district, and C4 commercial district, the CPD commercial plant development district. This site consists of... four parcels and the requested rezoning will allow these sites to be redeveloped with an athletic training facility for the national women's soccer league the development text establishes appropriate restrictions includes supplemental development standards addressing building setback lines traffic areas landscaping screening and lighting with a commitment to develop the site in accordance with the submitted site plan that is consistent with both the columbus growth strategy and southwest area plans future land use recommendations Proposal approves from city staff, the Development Commission, and the Southwest Area Commission. Do I have my colleagues have any questions or comments? Seeing none, I move for passage.

Bags, Dinday, Alcower, Doris, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Thank you. Thank you. Next, we move into the council variances portion of the agenda. We have council variance 2253-2026, degraded variance provisions of section 34.E.20100A, use tables 3312.09, IELTS 3312.13B, driveway 3312.25, maneuvering 3312.29, Stripping and marking 3312.43. Improvement required surface 3312.45. Wheel stop device 34E2030J1. General requirements miscellaneous 34G20.020C. Lighting and shielding 34G20.030D. Landscaping and parking lot shade trees 34G20.040A. Screening, headlight screening 34G.20.040B. Screening dumpster BULK REFUSE PICKUP SCREENING AND 34-POINT G.20.050A2 VISION CLEANANCE. THE COMPANY CITY GOES TO PROPERTY LOCATED AT 100 JONES AVENUE TO ALLOW A MAJOR AUTO SERVICE AND REPAIR ACCESSORY OUTSIDE STORAGE REDUCED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN THE UTC URBAN DISTRICT CENTER. DO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, I FIRST MOVE TO ACCEPT THE ENTIRE STAFF REPORT.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorrance, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin. Accepted.

The next move to adopt the finance of staff is the finance of council. Second.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorrance, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Thank you. Finally, move for passage.

Second. Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorrance, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President, Hardin.

Passed. Thank you. All we have tonight is the agenda. No further business coming before the zoning committee. Is there a motion to adjourn?

Second.

Please call the roll.

Bankston, Dayak, Howard, Dorrance, Green, Remy, Ross, Weiss, President Hart.

Have a good evening.